Monday, March 9, 2009

A fantastic asexual flow chart to help people who are questioning or undecided about whether they should classify as asexual as well as a tool for people to better understand what the asexual experience is like.

That is the most awesome flowchart ever. I would say it perfectly skewers the assumptions made about us, but sadly anon would have made such a statement ironic. Still, it really gets into how hard we have to "prove" ourselves and our orientation when it really all comes down to, are we sexually attracted to other people? No.

Plus it really demonstrates the full range of people and experiences. Thank you.

Clarissa - the point is - the other things are irrelevent. You *can* just skip all the other questions. As an ase person, I've been asked some of them as if they effect my identity - like asking a gay man if he's camp enough to be gay.It's not relevent to whether he's gay or not...

To Rainbow: No, it's not like being deaf or blind. Those are disabilities. If lack of attraction were a disability, then anyone who's not pansexual (or omnisexual) would be considered disabled.Clearly attraction is not part of the nature of EVERY living being, or else we wouldn't exist.

clarissa's point was dead on. perhaps the flow should lead the reader to different types of asexuality , (rather than lumping people into single categories of asexual or not); like those who want to be a relationship but not a sexual one, or those who are sexually active, but only by themselves, etc.

Rainbow, I agree with the previous anonymous response to your comment. Thinking asexuals are any less 'natural' than homosexuals shows you to be very narrow-minded. Asexuals don't need people to be sorry for them, just to respect them as they are. I really recommend the static content on the AVEN website www.asexuality.org for anyone who wants to learn more about this sexual orientation.

@ Timaree: The flow DOES lead the reader *through* different types of asexuality. The chart shows that, among 25 different sexual/romantic/lifestyle-related parameters, a person can be their own type of asexual with ANY combination of the 25 boxes. The chart dispels myths of the definitive asexual (eg. 'Asexuals don't have a sex drive' - not true! The flow chart shows that some do and some don't.)

If you look at it this way, the flow chart offers more types of asexuality than your idea of ending the chart with a handful of boxes. Remember those choose-your-own-adventure books we all read as kids? This is kind of like choose-your-own-asexuality. (Unless, of course, you experience sexual attraction. :D)